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Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
In home opener, Phillies show they have as much right to title as Eagles
In home opener, Phillies show they have as much right to title as Eagles PHILADELPHIA – Brandon Graham paraded onto the infield at Citizens Bank Park Monday afternoon clutching the Lombardi Trophy from his and the Eagles' recent Super Bowl triumph. He was soon joined by fellow Birds royalty Saquon Barkley, and it wasn't long before the merry sellout gathering of 44,595 began their hallelujah chorus of 'Fly Eagles Fly,' concluded of course by an enthusiastic 'E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!' roar. Advertisement But this was the Phillies' day at Citizens Bank Park, with the defending National League East champ set to launch a championship bid of their own, which will be seven months in the making. Can the Eagles' rub off on them? They can only hope. Former Philadelphia Eagle Brandon Graham acknowledges the crowd before the home opener between the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on March 31, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While the Eagles' recent title certainly provides inspiration, the Phillies needed to pitch and hit well enough to carve out a victory in the home opener on their own 162-game marathon path toward the postseason. This being baseball, in which the best teams lose more than any other pro sport, that requires patience and power, both of which ended up being valuable virtues in a 6-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. Advertisement 'That was a fun day,' said Kyle Schwarber afterward of a sentiment certainly shared by many. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 31: Philadelphia Phillies fans cheer after Kyle Schwarber's two-run home run in the seventh inning during the home opener against the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park on March 31, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 6-1. (Photo by) The Phillies, having already taken two of three at Washington to start the season, began this 3-game set hoping to, at the very least, do the same against not-so-sinister Colorado, knowing much stronger duels await from the National League champion Dodgers later this week and powerhouse NL East rivals Atlanta and New York later. There was plenty to like about what the Phillies did to achieve Monday's triumph, though much of it arrived belatedly, which only added to the appreciation it earned. MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT: These Delaware baseball players are in the big leagues or close Advertisement They were losing 1-0 entering the seventh inning before substitute shortstop Edmondo Sosa, who has frequently risen to the occasion when summoned, smacked his second double of the game, this one with two outs to score two runs. Schwarber then stepped to the plate and furthered Rockies reliever Victor Vodnik's anguish by launching a two-run homer over the center-field fence. Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Edmundo Sosa (33) celebrates his two RBI double during the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. Max Keppler then smacked a solo homer for his third hit off another Rockies reliever, with Nick Castellanos launching one of his own on the next at-bat to make it 6-1. Contributions by the likes of Sosa, playing shortstop in place of the injured Trea Turner, and Keppler, a Minnesota Twin the past 10 years, were certainly positive signs. As for scoring all those runs late, that's how it may have to be sometimes for the Phillies. Advertisement They couldn't get to Rockies starter German Marquez, making just his sixth appearance in three seasons due to elbow trouble, but showing his old, hard-to-hit stuff. The Colorado bullpen, however, was at the Phillies' mercy. They feasted, and it was a riveting sight. Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates his two-run home run in the dugout during the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. 'We don't score runs,' Schwarber said, noting it wasn't the first time, 'but when we get into the bullpen, next thing you know we got guys swinging away and we were able to get that done today.' That need will arise again. At the same time, the Phillies received a typically stellar start from Cristopher Sanchez. He did throw 93 pitches over just 5 1/3 innings, but struck out seven while allowing just the one run on Hunter Goodman's sixth-inning homer that ended Sanchez' day. Advertisement 'He missed some pitches,' Phillies manager Rob Thomson said, 'but he wasn't missing by much.' Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Max Kepler (17) celebrates his home run with outfielder Nick Castellanos (8), who then homered himself, during the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. Sanchez agreed, but was encouraged by the fact, the Phillies reported, that he averaged 96.5 mph, the highest of his career, on his 43 sinkers. After he left, relievers Orion Kerkering, Joe Ross, Jose Alvarado and Jordan Romano came on to pitch 3 2/3 shutout innings with two hits and two walks. For openers, you couldn't beat it if you were a Phillies' fan, fueling legitimate thoughts, now three years in the making, that they'll also have a chance to perhaps strut around with a championship trophy of their own later this year. Advertisement That's a long way off. It was only March 31, But victories as thorough as Monday's have a way of nourishing that far-off quest. Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@ and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to and our DE Game Day newsletter. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Phillies hope to emulate Eagles with own MLB title run
New York Times
18-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
PREP: Eagles' Brandon Graham announces retirement after 15 seasons
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham announced his retirement Tuesday, bringing to an end a 15-year career that saw him be a part of two Super Bowl winning teams. 'I gave everything I had in this. I don't have no regrets,' an emotional Graham said as he made his announcement before thanking family, friends, teammates, staff, coaches, owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman. Advertisement 'My life has been forever changed because of this magical place.' At the end of his statement, Graham spelled out the chant E-A-G-L-E-S one last time before adding, 'Fly Eagles fly. My last one. B.G. out, baby.' One of the best to ever wear the midnight green. Thank you for 15 incredible seasons, Brandon Graham. Congratulations on an amazing NFL career 👏 — Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 18, 2025 Graham, 36, spent his entire NFL career with the Eagles and is the franchise leader in games played at 206. His final sack in Week 12 moved him past Clyde Simmons for the third-most sacks in team history with 76.5 — behind only Reggie White and Trent Cole. Graham only had two seasons without a sack and he played a combined five games in those seasons due to injury. In 12 playoff games, Graham added 5 1/2 sacks and two forced fumbles with none bigger than his strip sack of quarterback Tom Brady in the closing minutes of Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots, which was the Eagles' first Super Bowl win in franchise history. Graham's toughness and grit were among his key attributes and was no better illustrated than by his drive to return for Super Bowl LIX in February. A torn tricep in Week 12 looked to sideline him for the remainder of the season, but he returned early — two months and two weeks into what was a projected four-month timeline. He told reporters ahead of the Super Bowl that he understood the risk he'd be taking of a potential re-tear and he was activated off injured reserve the Saturday before Philadelphia's 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. That game ended up being the final one of his NFL career. Despite his limited role on defense, Graham's leadership will be missed and he is one of several notable departures to an Eagles unit that swarmed Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX. Philadelphia has lost edge rusher Josh Sweat (signed with the Arizona Cardinals), defensive lineman Milton Williams (signed with the New England Patriots) and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (signed with the Minnesota Vikings) in free agency. The Eagles also released cornerbacks Darius Slay (who has since signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers) and James Bradberry and traded defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans. Advertisement Selected out of the University of Michigan with the No. 13 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Graham played in 13 games in his rookie season before a torn ACL in December kept him sidelined until November 2011. He only played in three games in 2011. Graham worked as a pass rushing specialist before growing into a bigger role on the defense. In 2016, he notched a career-best 22 quarterback hits en route to a second-team All-Pro selection. Following an eight-sack season in 2020, Graham made his only Pro Bowl team. From 2012 to 2020, Graham only missed one game out of a possible 144 contests and that was when he was inactive for the final week of the 2017 regular season with Philadelphia resting key starters having secured home field advantage for the NFC playoffs. In 2021, a torn Achilles tendon cost the 6-foot-2 defensive end all but two games. Graham came back the following season at the age of 34 and recorded a career-high 11 sacks in 2022 — marking the fourth time in six years where he recorded at least eight sacks in single season. He finished fourth in the voting for NFL Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year and his strong season helped the Eagles reach Super Bowl LVII. Graham signed successive one-year deals in 2023 and 2024 to return to the team albeit in a limited role. He is the latest long-time Eagles contributor to step away from the game. Following the 2023 season, center Jason Kelce and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox both retired. Like Graham, Kelce and Cox only played for Philadelphia in their respective 13- and 12-year careers. Kelce (193) and Cox (188) rank right behind Graham in games played for the Eagles. Right tackle Lane Johnson, a 12-year veteran and another lynchpin in Philadelphia's run of success, agreed to a one-year extension Monday that keeps him under contract through the 2027 season. 'We all went to war together,' Graham said of his teammates. 'We fought and we fought hard. We celebrated the highs and endured the lows and through it all we built something that can never be taken away. Two championships. Two of them. We made history together. While the trophies and rings are incredible, what I will cherish most are the moments. … All them boys know how I feel about them.' For his 15-year career, Graham totaled 487 tackles, 153 quarterback hits, 126 tackles for loss, 76.5 sacks, 22 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries with one returned for a touchdown.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cooper DeJean's girlfriend shares two-word message after NFL rookie's epic Super Bowl touchdown
Philadelphia Eagles rookie Cooper DeJean helped his team win the 2025 Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans last night on his 22nd birthday. His girlfriend Steph Wilfawn, a dermatology technician, was front and center inside Caesars Superdome for the NFL cornerback's star performance last night, including a major interception and a 38-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. On her Instagram Story, the proud girlfriend posted a childhood picture of DeJean before a video of his touchdown with the caption: 'Happy Birthday @cooperdejean.' The punt returner brought the score up to 17-0 when he caught Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' pass meant for his wide receiver and ran straight down the sidelines. Only a short while ago, DeJean was playing college football at the University of Iowa. The young athlete was picked by the Eagles in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft. DeJean and Wilfawn reportedly met as Hawkeyes in Johnson County, Iowa. For the past few months, Wilfawn hasn't been shy about sharing her relationship with the professional football player online, posting pictures and videos of her attending his games in Philadelphia. For the Super Bowl, DeJean's girlfriend wore a custom sheer, black long-sleeved shirt with his jersey number '33' stitched in orange on the back, mini leather shorts, and baggy brown boots. Both her shoes and top were from the brand It's Sew Tyler. 'GAME DAY!!' she wrote next to a TikTok video of her dressed up and ready to go watch her man play in the biggest game of his career thus far. Love and support from the Eagles team's family, friends, and fans was rife after the championship match. Head coach Nick Sirianni was nearly speechless amid all the chaos of the Eagles' celebration. However, he honored the feat with his wife Brett Ashley Cantwell and their two sons — Jacob, nine, and Miles, four — who were all present at the game. A heartwarming moment between the close-knit family occurred during Sirianni's postgame interview with Fox News. The coach was seen kissing Cantwell and squeezing Jacob before lifting his younger son on his hip. 'It worked,' Miles told his father as they cheered: 'E-A-G-L-E-S.' Bradley Cooper's moment with Eagles superfan Declan LeBaron at the start of the game was another tear-jerker from the night. The actor took the field before the game to introduce the Eagles with the eight-year-old who went viral after content creator MD Motivator surprised him with tickets to the Super Bowl. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝐙𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐤𝐢 (@mdmotivator) LeBaron was previously in the hospital for systemic juvenile arthritis, a rare form of inflammatory arthritis that's typically seen with children under 16.
CBS News
11-02-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Young Eagles fan recovering from injuries in Philadelphia plane crash, Andre Howard, celebrates Super Bowl win
The Philadelphia Eagles' thrashing of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX brought some joy to 10-year-old Andre Howard, a boy still healing after the plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia late last month. Howard was one of 24 people on the ground injured after a medical jet crashed near Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue on Jan. 31. The crash killed all six passengers aboard, including the crew, a children's hospital patient and her mother. Howard reportedly was hurt when he covered up his sister to protect her and was struck by flying debris. Sunday night at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Howard and his family were all smiles celebrating the Eagles getting a second Lombardi trophy. Andre's mother Lashawn Hamiel shared video of the family all decked out in midnight and Kelly Green doing an E-A-G-L-E-S chant in the hospital hallway. Andre was wearing a Saquon Barkley jersey and an Eagles National Football Conference champions commemorative hat. Ahead of the Super Bowl Howard's efforts to protect his sister got the attention of Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, who showed love to Howard in a social media post. "Speedy recovery! You are a Hero young man! I'm going to come see you when I get back," Brown wrote on X last week. "Hopefully with some hardware. Playing for you on Sunday my man." After the crash, Soans Christian Academy in Northeast Philadelphia launched a fundraiser for Howard. Leaders at Soans say Howard and his siblings have all attended the academy since preschool, with Andre now joining them for after-school activities.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why the Eagles Super Bowl win is special for Mount Union
After the final seconds ticked off the clock at the Super Bowl in New Orleans, there was an emotional moment when Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni held up his young son and the two spelled out E-A-G-L-E-S.
